These postdoctoral appointments are also structured to provide the necessary time away from the work for anything required for the successful completion of the doctorate program. These fellowship appointments are further designed to add training in the field of choice for the applicant. But they are also designed to make sure that some of the top applicants from the nation’s schools have the chance to do some needed and valuable work at different companies and institutions.
Most of the time these positions are dedicated to research and are considered to be great opportunities for both the individual and the company. Many of the top postdoctoral positions can be found by searching online boards that specialize in jobs for these individuals. One of the most comprehensive listings for post-doc company sites can be found at PostdoctoralFellowCrossing. Here many qualified applicants can find information about potential appointments and job opportunities that are only available to those with their education and experience.
Appointments for post-doc jobs in many different areas across the country can range from just one year up to five years. There are some special appointments available that have up to ten-year commitment terms. The length of any appointment is important to consider when you are applying for one of these specific openings. International competition for the available slots has increased over the past ten years. Many candidates from the United States have chosen to continue their education in other countries where the competition is far less intense.
Each of the different institutions involved will have its own requirements that an applicant must meet in order to be a serious contender for one of the available appointments. Some require that you are a legal citizen of the United States, while others will consider foreign nationals. Each specific position weighs the candidate’s record of education and their potential to perform well in the future. Employees also give consideration to the individual career goals of each of the applicants.
Since many institutions strongly favor hiring the postdoctoral fellow at the end of his appointed term, this position can also be viewed as on-the-job training with a great potential for being turned into a full-time job opportunity. At the end of the education and the fellowship, the successful completion of a dissertation, and many years of projects, tests, and research study comes the awarding of the coveted PhD that can now open hundreds of career doors.
The postdoctoral applicant often has an easier time when it comes to securing positions with many companies than those who have yet to attain their degree. The distinction between the two for a company or institution has everything to do with monetary compensation. A PhD applicant is almost certainly assured more money when they apply for almost any job. Many other applicants, such as fellows, will generally receive tuition, plus a salary, and expect to have the necessary time off needed to attend or instruct classes and complete their education. Postdoctoral candidates do not receive all tuition and are actually a better choice for companies and institutions to hire.
Whatever the chosen field of study, having that doctorate degree automatically invites job offers and this achievement makes you a more valuable employee or associate. One of the most surprising statistics concerning jobs at the PhD level concerns the many openings that are available in research departments across the country.
Developmental research in almost every field usually requires a doctorate (or the active pursuit of one) in order to be considered as a serious job candidate. Having a certain number of employees on staff with these credentials is valuable to the company or industry because it adds to their credibility, helping them achieve funding and grants. Many researchers and workers with doctorate degrees will be publishing papers, making discoveries, and greatly advancing the work that is being done at these companies.
One of the most common openings for postdoctoral work involves the field of education, and many of these individuals will decide to choose careers as educators and teachers. Universities and colleges often give a high preference for those applicants who have already received their doctorate degrees or who are very close to doing so.
While experience often plays at least a small role in landing these positions, those who are pursuing their doctorates are also usually working in their field at the same time. This opens up the opportunities for someone who has a post-doctorate fellow position already to begin teaching in their particular field almost immediately upon completion of their doctoral work.
Many of these available post-doc jobs have become increasingly difficult to fill due to the desire of many possible candidates to seek out the more lucrative terms and financial rewards that are being offered by large companies in the private sector. This has forced many of the schools to cast their nets abroad in order to have more success finding qualified professors.
